Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-28

steamer an de cars, We got 50 leetle lcf dat
all de way comm We kcnent eat mush-.o
am schid yust now
You are unn-every mch-and a good
man, exclaimed Mrs. Loring, with her
/ eyes full Of tears 'and a girl like Tilln
don't deserve you. Tell me where your
! good old mother is, and will 20 to see her
! tomorrow You are sober and industrious.
and you will soon have plenty of work. and
TIL you get it you must let us help you.
Aou can pay back every cent we lend YOU
with interest, If you want to-" she added
And now drink some tea and eat some
thing As she spoke she set the tea and
some bread and butter and meat on the Ia
BILE then, with an I'm be back directly"
she disappeared, and busted herself in the
store-room arranging package of tea and
sugar and other little things that would be
appreciated by an old woman. When She
thought he had had time TO finish his supper
she returned "An old person needs little
things that younger people can get along
without and it's too late now to get any
thing the stores will all be shut
As fine an instinct as Mrs Loring's own
helped Nicholas TO accept the gift and the
kindly ruse together, saying, simply, as he
rose TO go: 'Dey's way kind, Meess Loing
see tank you way mush, an tank you for
III NiiuN ht JllBS YOU 90 IOf me. / got not
so much troohle fen got YOU kindness" "
The next day Mrs. Lorinp fulfilled her
promise of calling upon old Mrs. Jansen.
and indeed kept them both upon her mind
until Nicholas found steady work, and they
were comfortably settled. Indeed, she nev.
er quite lost sight of them until they
left the city to live elsewhere, five
years later for the old lady would come
every month or two TO pay her respects.
and was employed by Mrs. Loring TO knit
mittens, etc, for the children, and some
times on Sunday she met the pair on their
way to church, or walking in the afternoon,
Nicholas always with his old mother on his |
arm. Never once did she see a younger
woman with him.
But she did not see Tilda for over three
years from the day she left her and sup |
posed she had left the city, more especiallv |
as her husband had some thought of doing |
so when they were married. But one morn |
ing, at the end of that time, she was told |
there was woman in the kitchen who want |
ed to see her. The woman was wretchedly |
clad, thin, haggard, and scared-looking. |
could she be yes, she was Tilda
Mrs, Lorlng was shocked Come into
the dining room" she said. Il must see
you alone. fear you are in great trouble Sc
Poor Iilda Mrs. Loring's kind familiar
voice quite broke her down, and She could
do nothing but sit and sob. 1t was evident.
as she tottered from the kitchen, that her
strength was nearly spent so Mrs. Loring
did not try to make her talk until she had
brought her little tea. Then her story
came out-the old one which so many of us
have heard a husband given more and
more to the vice Of drinking, and her life
one of neglect cruel treatment and want.
She had already borne three children. the
youngest of whom was not yet two weeks
old aud was hudlled under her shawl and
all of them We're starving
Mrs. Lortng, as usual, was equal to the
She telephoned for a hack.
and while 1t was coming hastily prepared "a
bundle of immediate necessities, and was
soon with Tilda in the wretched place she
called home, where she saw the poor crea-
ture back into her bed, and paid a neighbor
to see to her and the children until she be-
came stronger; but the exposure had been
too great, and she died the next week On
one OF the last days in which she had inter
walls OF consciousness, she beckoned Mrs.
Lorlng, who had come to see how she was
to the bed. Nicholas come back in Amer
lea, she said
Mrs. Loring nodded assent. eyes see
him often, Tilla."
81 hev seen EN- on a street tree year 90"
lilda continued, speaking with difficulty
EN- say noting, but EN- look so | tink God
Iookin' at me ~
She had not spoken so much before for
many hours, and her voice died weakly
away. Mrs Loring thought she was going
TO lapse again into unconsciousness. but.
watching a second, she noticed voceless
motion Of the lips and an anxious look in
the eyes, that showed she was irving to
hold her wandering mind till strength
should come to speak again,
Would you like me 10 say something to
lim, Iilda - she asked, gently.
a look Of relief came to the poor pinched ,
lace ''Tal EN-, she began, faintly-"tal ,
en- Her mind was slipping
rom her, and she seemed 10 clutch for it
lntil she should have finished; but her !
thoughts would no longer shape themselves I
n English, or remember a mediating third
'arty. 90 Kda van f0rlat mig, for iag !
lar handlat lila, Gud har straffat mig-och :
Gr!at, fdrlat mig she whispered hoarse- j
y. The last words died in an almost in ;
'rticulate murmur and she passed again !
nto an unconscious state, from which she !
lid not rally.-Hafper's Bdzar